WI Khedive of Egypt's heir didn't die?

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So Ahmad Rifaat Pasha was the heir presumptive to the Khedivate of Egypt in the 1850's. However, he drowned in an accident in 1858 and the crown passed on to his nephew, Ismail Pasha (aka. the guy that launched a disastrous war against Ethiopia and plunged the country into massive debt) instead.

Had Ahmad Rifaat lived, what reforms would he enact through his reign? Would he launch a costly war for Ethiopia? What about the debts incurred by the Egyptian government, would they be paid back?
 
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After checking the age of his death, I think he can be just about anything possible. Though perhaps anyone would do if you want a more restraint spender then Ismail. Then again, Ismail was a strong character and leader, too. Maybe he can be made a sufficiently strong ruler that doesn't go off cliff like his nephew will later be IOTL ? But I still think the root of the debt quicksand lies in European outlook rather of Egypt's.
 
After checking the age of his death, I think he can be just about anything possible. Though perhaps anyone would do if you want a more restraint spender then Ismail. Then again, Ismail was a strong character and leader, too. Maybe he can be made a sufficiently strong ruler that doesn't go off cliff like his nephew will later be IOTL ? But I still think the root of the debt quicksand lies in European outlook rather of Egypt's.

Hmm...if that's it, then I wonder if Egypt can avoid the 'business imperialism' that befell it in the 1880's. Less debt would have made the situation better, and I kinda like the idea of an alternate 'Cape to Zanzibar' railroad. If the problem is because of the European outlook, then I wonder what could be done to diminish that.

The Suez Canal will probably get involved, though; that was a major factor in both European Imperialism and the economy of the region.
 
Yeah, Suez Canal is most likely unavoidable. And in any case Europe is the only source of capital necessary to modernize, and they had to modernize. I don't know enough to elaborate a strategy for better execution in modernization to avoid debt pitfall. I kinda hesitate to blame Ismail's expansionism as the prime cause behind the later crisis, and some blame his cotton adventurism instead for that.
 
I've been interested in the khedivate period for a few weeks now, specifically around Ismail Pasha. Despite his poor performance against Ethiopia (which I wonder if it could have been successful?) he did a lot, kind of a Second Mohammed Ali of sorts. Perhaps something with his succession, or a better playing the Ottomans and British and French off of each other for a while?
 
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